So I want to clear a few things up today. (Psssst – How good is my “shocked face” collage? Ha!)

A (relatively new) friend recently confided in me that she eats cheese.

Yep. Shock horror. She eats cheese. And she loves it.

Expecting me to lose my shit over her confession, she had withheld bringing cheese to our regular girly catch ups, out of fear that I, and our other health coach friends, would judge her.

Hmmmmmmm.

Then, last week, I had a client of mine send through a testimonial… This was the first line:

I was always a little wary of health coaches. I was always a bit scared that if I worked with a coach I’d suddenly morph into this “clean eating” fanatic – an overly spiritual, green smoothie drinking, namaste-ing perfectionist.

But let it be known, that I eat cheese, drink wine, love chocolate, adore coffee and I don’t drink green smoothies, exercise or meditate every single day.

I don’t preach perfection. I believe instead, in wellness.

Let’s talk about wellness for a minute.

I believe wellness is not about diet deprivation. It’s also not about amazing abs. It is not about skinny-ness or fat-ness, a perky butt or a freaking box gap. That is NOT what wellness means.

Wellness is free, flowing energy. Spaciousness. Clear eyes. Glow-y skin (that’s not out of a chemically-laden product). Wellness is how it feels to be empowered to choose the right foods and lifestyle for YOU.

It does not come in a bottle, off a shelf or in a box. It does not come overnight. It does not come from stressing about sticking to a 1200 calorie diet or how many #fitspo accounts you follow on Instagram.

But it does come with freedom, flow, rest and ease. It comes from being gentle. It comes from a loving, nurturing space and it’s yours gorgeous, it’s all yours, if you’re willing to let go of what society tells you it looks like.

_______________________________________________________

So for me, wellness means I eat a mostly plant based, whole foods diet and love it, but I totally enjoy a couple of glasses of wine when I feel like it. I just don’t binge drink. I’m the first one on the brie on a cheese board and 85% Lindt chocolate is a pantry staple. I dig coffee (one cup helps me write and train like a pro!) and my body thrives on organic eggs, butter and good quality, pasture-fed meat. Often. (Read this fab post on intuitive meat-eating…)

I also eat bread (or pancakes!) if I feel like it and leave it if I don’t. It’s that simple.

And I definitely do not exercise, meditate or drink green smoothies every day.

Exercise? Most days, yes I do. Because I want to. But I won’t if I don’t feel the pull.

Meditate? I go through cycles and phases with meditation. Right now, it’s a once a week kinda style. Totally sweet.

Green smoothies? Intuitively, I barely felt like a green smoothie all Summer and I definitely don’t drink them in Winter, when my body is craving warm, comforting foods.

To eat (and move!) intuitively, to FORGET the diet labels and experiment with dropping the habit of defining yourself with a particular style/trend of eating – or lifestyle for that matter.

Figure out what wellness looks like for you. What foods do you love? What foods make you feel good – today? What exercise makes you feel strong and powerful? What could a relationship with meditation look like for you – today?

_______________________________________________________

You’ll be pleased to know that testimonial from my client I mentioned earlier, finished off like this…

But then I discovered ‘This is Lifeblood’ and the amazing Claire Baker. Claire’s honest, no-bullsh*t approach to coaching is powerful, inspiring and ultimately, life-changing… I currently enjoy a green smoothie and ‘namaste’ of a morning, but I’m no perfectionist fanatic. I’m just a more kick-ass version of myself (and green is good!).

Be kind to yourself. Enjoy the pleasures of life. Embrace wellness. And please, remember to invite me over next time you feel like a glass of red and a chunk of cheese. No judgements here.

_______________________________________________________

Let’s start a conversation about this! Are you torn between wellness and wanting to indulge in your favourite pleasures? Does the health and wellness message confuse you sometimes? I’d love to know! I’d also LOVE you to share this post with your pals!

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54 Comments

I just love this so, so much! In my own life, I’m really trying to figure out what wellness means to me. I’ve been adjusting my diet and lifestyle (and have seriously grown LIGHT YEARS from even a year ago)… but I’m still figuring it all out and being as gentle as I can while I do it.
I’ve gone back and forth on making the leap to vegetarianism (currently I’ve cut my meat intake down a lot, as I found my body just works better that way)… but I hate the labels. The idea of getting caught up in the labels and having them define who I am. It just feels so restrictive.

It takes time babe, it takes time! My journey has personally taken years. YEARS. Enjoy the process and every stage and step along the way. I’ve been vegetarian, vegan for short stints, tried paleo, gym-junkie, yoga, low-cal, BLAH BLAH BLAH and the labels killed me. We’re not meant to fit into a box (or box gap haha), we’re just meant to be well, be real and be ultra nice to ourselves as we figure out how best to do so. x

Oh Claire I love this. I am also a red wine loving, cheese boarding health coach.
I write passionately about these things on my foodie blog ::
How food brings people together {share}
How we need to learn to really enjoy eating again without all the restrictive rules we place on ourselves {savor}
and {enjoy} thats the part we we lighten up and don’t take ourselves so seriously.

I lived in France, Italy and Spain during my 20’s and I loved how the Europeans truly appreciate real wholefood, celebrate it even … how have we got it so wrong?

Theres such freedom in being in tune with yourself and what you need and doing that because it FEELs good not because of a bunch of should’s according to other people.

Beautiful Jo! I love your message. And you’re right, the Euro’s have certainly got it sorted. (Mmmmmm take back to the South of France!) And YES to “because it FEELs good not because of a bunch of should’s according to other people.” x

I so needed to read this right now!!! I was having some kind of internal dilemma that I was now going to have to fit a mould.. and I know I certainly don’t fit a mould… As I listened to lectures on how good greens are.. I was munching on organic corn chips…and eating chocolate…. ha… Its all about the wellness and truly listening to what your body is saying.. Yep I still adore coffee, but my body can only do one a day and sometimes not even that!
It really is about enjoying all the pleasures of life! Of soaking up the good that is around you , in whatever form that comes in and whatever works best for you!
You are a true gem.. xxxx

Oh beautiful, I’m so glad that this is what you needed! I went through the same internal battles while studying – but if I’m a health coach, does that mean I can’t have chocolate?!! – but soon realised that no, it does not. Pleasure is key. Listening is key. Kindness is key. Much love x

Ahh, this is excellent Claire!! I’m totally with you – listening to my body and being kind to myself are the two guiding wellness principles for me. Sometimes that means a massive salad and good yoga sesh, other times it’s a glass of red with steak and chips. Thanks for coming clean! Haha 😉

YES GIRL – BRAVO!
You make a brilliant point Claire. We need to listen to what our bodies are telling us we need, not necessarily want. Deprivation is not the way to go. Kindness to oneself goes a long, long way in our wellness journeys.
Snaps to you for saying exactly what many of us needed to hear.
x

This message is probably the most important one to anyone embarking on a wellness journey. Sometimes I feel there is a thin line between positive encouragement and toxic comparison in the world of health and wellness. We often read or hear that others ‘don’t drink alcohol’, ‘don’t eat dairy’ and that ‘their non-negotiable is a daily green smoothie!’

Which is brilliant for the individual who makes the decision to live this way, but perhaps not so much for the at times confused, vulnerable and concerned soul who is yet to develop their own health/wellness formula.

We MUST drop the labels, drop the diet restrictions, drop the idea that there is one type of perfect lifestyle that we have to adhere to in order to lead a ‘healthy’ and fulfilling life.

As for me, I eat food. It comes in all sorts of kinds, but I love veggies (greens in particular- NOT in liquid form- for breakfast, lunch and dinner), red meat and hand caught fish by my beautiful husband. I also love bread and butter, so I bake my own sourdough and lather it in beautiful butter. It makes me happy. Cheese and wine are pleasures that I enjoy, when and if I desire them. Same goes for chocolate and cake too, or even better, Chocolate Cake!

I also move my body. In whichever way it signals to me will make it happy. Sometimes that means sprints in the park or walking my precious pup and at others it means crow pose in my bedroom or laying on my back breathing deep full breaths. Either way, the outcome is always a smile.

Thank you Claire, for pouring your heart and soul out each time you write and delivering the message that wellness is created in many different ways.

Elisa, I love everything you have written here. The thin line between positive encouragement and toxic comparison – yes!! Amen. Totally agree and something I’ve been really observant of lately. Your attitude towards your health sounds bloody fabulous to me, thank you so much for sharing. The response to this post has only confirmed for me that THIS attitude to wellness is what we need to hear more of. Big ups! Claire x

Love this post Claire. You sum up everything I love about your style of health & wellness coaching – being true to yourself first and not getting attached to any gimmicks.
I’m trying to eat more cleanly but right now I do the best I can and don’t best myself up when I eat processed foods. I’ve just come off a weight loss journey by losing over 14kg. Sure I count calories but I’ve never cut food groups or denied myself a treat. This for me is a healthy lifestyle not a diet!!
As for exercise, I’m a 6 day a week girl (twice on Saturdays too lol) but that’s because I’ve become addicted to I and how it makes me feelt, not because I feel I HAVE to exercise.
Thanks again Claire. Fab post lovely xx

Hell yes! Awesome post Claire!
I’m in the process of changing the way I eat, as my body has been sending me messages that is just ain’t happy with what I’ve been eating recently. We’re all different & it’s so important that we listen to our own body, & don’t try to fit into a particular category or copy someone else’s eating habits because we think we ‘should’. The guilt & pressure we put on ourselves for eating something we are labelling as bad is far more toxic for our bodies than a bit of cheese or chocolate!
Cheers to intuitive eating, nourishing our bodies & enjoying a glass of wine when we feel to!
Big love,
Jen xx

Gorgeous Claire. You nail it every single freakin’ time. I just want to give you a big squeeze!! There’s blogs that I follow that honestly make me want to jump off a cliff, because after reading them, my brain tells me I’m not “well/green/zen/bendy/energetic” enough. The old comparison bitch comes out hard, but that is the complete opposite to what I feel when I read your words. You make me feel so totally ok with being me. You amplify my faith that I am enough. It’s soul sizzling stuff. And that is exactly what I need right now. You’re the best. Big love xxx

Oh my goodness, I love this post so friggin much!! I have been through this battle too many times with myself and I have come to the conclusion that labels are crap, crap, crap, crap! Wellness is about being good to yourself, being easy on yourself and loving yourself. Not about how long you have been a vegan or paleo or how many green smoothies you consume or even how flexible you are. Everyone is unique and precious and should be treated that way. I have put so much pressure on myself in the past that unless I was a raw vegan, meditated for hours a day, drank green smoothies, and could conquer every single yoga pose in the book I was a health fraud. That’s crap! Health and wellness is an individual journey and it really is just about listening to yourself and your body and finding what works for you! I am not the most flexible but I still love yoga, I drink green juices but not smoothies, I meditate but not every day and I eat wholesome plant based foods…some are raw, some are vegan, and some are definitely cheese! Thank you so much Claire for this authentic, vulnerable post, it is so perfect and really needs to be in the forefront of everyone’s minds on a health, wellness, spiritual, self-loving journey! Love and listen yourself!

What a great post Claire 🙂 This is totally me! I have changed so much in my life but I still love to have a few wines a few times a week. Oh and I love chocolate. The main thing is that I feel much better than I used when I was 25kgs heavier and that I eat healthily for the majority of the time.

Awesome post Claire 🙂 I enjoyed reading that and as I’m (re) starting to (again) choosing good options for myself, it is nice to be reminded that it is an individual thing and not to live by other peoples rules. sometimes we are so easily swayed as to what’s right and ‘wrong’ and the guilt, oh the guilt. Trying to let that one go.
Thanks for inspiring me to really find out what MY wellness looks and feels like.

THIS is my exact philosophy. I’m currently studying to be a Health Coach/Nutritionist and you are the example that I aspire to be. I don’t ever cut food out, if I don’t want it I don’t have it, but if I feel like it I’ll have it! I eat all that you do, I don’t drink green smoothies nor do I meditate everyday. I want to encourage people to wellness and not deprivation, life is far to short. Again LOVE LOVE this post. xx

This is such an awesome post!! I held back on my decision about whether to become a health coach for nearly 6 months due to fears I wasn’t a green juice nut or yoga loving twenty something… but I am so glad I overcame that and pursued this brilliant profession. I think health coaches everywhere will want to give you a big hug for writing this:) xx

Thanks this post was perfect! I am new to the heath coaching world and this was an internal battle for me! I know I have so many great things to share with my clients but at times felt as if I was living a bit of a lie when I would enjoy a few (sometimes too many) wind down wines on a friday night after a hectic week- but you are right we are human and we too are finding balance in our lives and just because not all of us health coaches are yogi’s or meditation goddess’s this does not mean that we do not have a beautiful message to tell the world about our journeys.
Much love Amy xx – Healthy belly happy mind health coaching

I had this same confusion this morning. Well not in the context of health and wellness. I am on my own journey to living plastic free and waste free life. On my way to work this morning wearing my complete head to toe second hand outfit with my face dusted in package free natural make up…I decided I felt like a croissant. So I bought one. Once I ate it (and enjoyed it) I then felt guilty for the waste I produced from the paper bag. Yes the bag could be recycled but it seemed contradictive to the waste free path that I am on. I then started berating myself for not waiting until I got to work so I could grab an old paper bag and reuse that for my purchase.

When I broke the real reason of my guilty feeling down, I realised that I was unhappy because for five minutes I was no longer in the mould that I formed for myself. I need to loosen my grip and celebrate what I have achieved so far.

I needed to read this post today to remind me that I am still trying to find my groove in my new lifestyle. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thank you so much for this, Claire. I really needed to hear that. To be honest: I get all of that, but I still struggle with wanting to be the perfect something, to put a label on myself and to be 100% “pure” vegan.

I love eating vegan and experimenting with all the recipes. I love fueling my body with recipes that are healthy and satisfying. But sometimes I just feel like a burger. Or like my mom’s delicious Schnitzel.

And then I beat myself up, or worry why I can’t just stick to vegan 100%. I also feel bad sending mixed signals to my loved ones, because one day I’ll eat the meat and the next I won’t even touch the butter. Sigh. It really is confusing.

Bravo! I LOVE this post! I couldn’t agree more. I think there’s a lot of assumptions around wellness and wellbeing – no drinking, no chocolate, no… fun! But it’s not about that at all. Choosing what you want to eat, how you want to think, when you want to move is where it’s at. Thank you for a gorgeous reminder. x

OMG yes!!!! I am going through this at the moment as I am studying to be a Health Coach and have always had such high expectations of myself and would feel guilty when I’m not practicing what I preach 24/7. I am only human after all and I am still working out what works for my body and I want to make sure I empower people to do the same. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much for writing this! I often get caught up with trying to do everything right, and to live holistically that my efforts for perfection are defeating the purpose of achieving wellness. I beat myself up if I miss a workout, or ate a little more dessert then I should have. But you reminded me what wellness really is, not a pinterest perfect life, but a real, balanced and happy me. 🙂

[…] months ago I was in the biggest transition of my life – a family tragedy, a new city, career change, a return to study, adjusting to being single – and figuring out what the heck I wanted from this […]

I love this!! Have bookmarked in my favourites so I can read it every time I get caught up in all the different messages out there!!! Also love all the comments, god it is nice to know there are so many amazing women out there xx

I am SO the health food perfectionist fanatic who is so strict with her eating (to try and cure her health woes), but loves (uber loves!!!!) cheese and wine too! Not for the gluttony, or the drunkness, but because I ENJOY the taste of it! So I adore your definition of wellness and the suggestion that maybe wellness is about feeling, flow, energy and following that, rather than some rigid rules of what’s ‘good’ or ‘not so good’. Cheers to you, and one more reminder that relaxing with these things is probably more healthy than the anxiety of what it will do to us otherwise!
Loadsa love for your perfect words 🙂

[…] The ever beautiful Claire Baker, the woman I am blessed to call my coach! I have come so far in the 3 months I have spent in Claire’s virtual arms. This beauty has brought health and creativity back into my life and from this post I was hooked! http://thisislifeblood.com/so-im-a-health-coach/ […]

LOVE this Claire! I’ve been feeling like I’ve been trying too damn hard to “fit” what healthy looks like in terms of food and movement. Thank goodness for your authentic post and all the amazing women that have responded to it so far! x

[…] The ever beautiful Claire Baker, the woman I am blessed to call my coach! I have come so far in the 3 months I have spent in Claire’s virtual arms. This beauty has brought health and creativity back into my life and from this post I was hooked! http://thisislifeblood.com/so-im-a-health-coach/ […]

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